Life Pressures I'm Currently Feeling at 23

Just some thoughts and feelings I’ve had recently.. everything I feel pressure to be and feel and do right now.

I thought you might relate!

To drink almond milk coffee

To give up coffee all together

To have a 100% sustainable & ethical wardrobe

To be wearing Maggie Marilyn when I can’t afford it

To keep up with Brexit and actually understand it

To speak about anything, everyone and everything perfectly to avoid criticism

To show up to things I don’t want to go to

To go out drinking every weekend

To learn not to burst into tears when pretty much ANYTHING goes wrong

To convince everyone that I’m not just another pointless ‘social media influencer’

To convince the older generations in my industry to take me seriously

To convince older generations in general to take me seriously

To move out of home even though I live in Auckland and I don’t want to pay someone else’s rent

To do F45

To keep my lady mo waxed at all times

To keep my suede boots clean through the whole of Autumn/Winter

To make a home cooked meal instead of order pizza when that’s all I want

To have a huge social circle and friend group when I really can only keep up with 3 friends

To be ‘fun to be around’

To leave the house in the weekend when I’m truly a huge homebody

To be saving for a house

To be constantly busy, when being busy gives me complete anxiety

When I read that list, it’s so easy to say “oh what a load of crap, just live your life girlfriend!”, but I think the pressures that are thrown at us in our twenties are monumental, especially when we self compare and are unable to have what others have, whether it be in real life or on social media. HOW am I supposed to be a ‘successful business lady millennial’, make the time to eat and make nutritious food, save for a house, purchase sustainable & ethical clothing only while those brands prices are out of my budget right now, struggle with inner conflict over not being environmentally conscious enough, go to F45, spend quality time with my partner, be a good and physically present best friend, be a great daughter, take ‘me-time’ to recharge the introvert inside of me, manage my mental health, keep my entire body waxed and shaved at all times, make sure people take me seriously and buy that Maggie Marilyn blazer all at the same time?

All of that makes me tired just by reading it, let alone living it.

Some of you might think that the above is 100% achievable, and I’m jealous of you! But I am the type of person who gets exhausted by life very easily, and enjoys staying focused on the simple things. So here’s to doing everything at our own pace, to knowing that life is not a race, life is not about owning $1000 blazers or being the perfect sustainable human. We are all doing our BEST.

So accept what your best is, be at peace with your best, be a good human, but remember that at the end of the day, life isn’t enjoyable unless you’re looking after you! Look after you first, then worry about the rest.